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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. branch — a division
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mug — a cup
  12. toast — bread
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lean — thin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mug — a face
  21. bass — low music
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com